I always have respect for all the nations, even the weakest ones, but I have to say that now as now it's quite pointless for us, leaders of the Six Nations, to keep playing with all those European teams. We should start to think to a separated competition with New Zealand and Australia, letting those good but minor teams like England and France calmly growing up in their own competition

Canalina wrote:I always have respect for all the nations, even the weakest ones, but I have to say that now as now it's quite pointless for us, leaders of the Six Nations, to keep playing with all those European teams. We should start to think to a separated competition with New Zealand and Australia, letting those good but minor teams like England and France calmly growing up in their own competition

Its only 5 years since Scotland and Wales were pushing for something very similar, but with them - and Italy - in a W6N second division.

It's just a bit strange because I can't find other occurrences of this news, not even in the FIR website. I don't think they invented the story, just it's strange that no other news website wrote about this

Thank you, but I never did it before and I fear to mess up something in my mac configuration. I tried to follow the steps of a page explaining how to change IP location but eventually I renounced. Also because I suspect that this will be an easy win for England. Thanks anyway

I wonder if also Andorra could be able to field a XV national team; they have a squad doing well in the spanish championship (judging by the post below) and I suppose the very most of team is from Andorra

They play in Catalan regional league, the one with more teams involved (including a club from Balearic Islands). Primera Catalana is the second-tier there right after Divisió d'Honor, so Spanish fourth-tier. So you can judge the level, Catalan champion and runner-up are currently playing División de Honor B (National second-tier in order to reach Liga Iberdrola) and lost heavily away this weekend: El Salvador 65 - 0 BUC (champion) and Les Abelles 55 - 14 Sant Cugat (runner-up).

It's great to have so many teams playing XV (or XII, XIII...) in the country, I counted 109 this season, but the average level can be brought into question. We saw it last year with Industriales, Madrid regional league champion, losing to Colombia or with Olímpico losing to reinforced Sporting Portugal at Taça Ibérica in December.

And don't get me wrong, I'm incredibly proud of the health and position of women's rugby in Spain, but it's not all rosy. Large numbers do not necessarily mean more quality even if they help.

109 teams is quite impressive. I counted 36 teams in the Dutch competition, from maybe 45-50 clubs. Sometimes two or three clubs form a cluster where there aren't enough players to form a team in a single club. And one or two clubs have a 2nd team.

Germany has only 6 teams playing XV in a league.7s has 56 teams playing across 6 regional divisions.

How to grow rugby worldwide?Look at the world ranking in July. Teams ranked 1-10 have to play one team from 11-20 (they don't play in a regular competition) away the next year. 11-20 play 21-30 away and so on. Yes, it really is that simple.

In Italy 19 clubs in the one-level XV championship, plus dozens of teams (I don't know the exact number) playing the Coppa Italia 7s (a particular kind of 7s, played just on a portion of the field)

About today's evening England v Scotland, I have to remark the strength of the red roses (could the Silver Ferns beat them in this moment? I have several doubts) but also the semi-total emptiness of Twickenham. I think 95% of the spectators left the stadium after the men's game, despite there were just forty minutes or so between the end of one match and the beginning of the other

Canalina wrote:About today's evening England v Scotland, I have to remark the strength of the red roses (could the Silver Ferns beat them in this moment? I have several doubts) but also the semi-total emptiness of Twickenham. I think 95% of the spectators left the stadium after the men's game, despite there were just forty minutes or so between the end of one match and the beginning of the other

The problem is that Twickenham concentrates all of the spectators for these free games into the lower tier onto the side of the stadium with the TV cameras, so its hard to tell. However it was significant that there were spectators on the far side too, which suggests that the camera side was nearly full, and the few views there were of this suggests it may have been so. The estimated crowd was 13,000. That was probably not far wrong.

But playing the women's game after the men's is a problem. A kickoff time of 7.20pm means a very late end especially for younger spectators with a long journey. Also almost everything shuts down - most of the concession stands, bars, programme sellers, etc. - so its not very welcoming.

Canalina wrote:About today's evening England v Scotland, I have to remark the strength of the red roses (could the Silver Ferns beat them in this moment? I have several doubts) but also the semi-total emptiness of Twickenham. I think 95% of the spectators left the stadium after the men's game, despite there were just forty minutes or so between the end of one match and the beginning of the other

The problem is that Twickenham concentrates all of the spectators for these free games into the lower tier onto the side of the stadium with the TV cameras, so its hard to tell. However it was significant that there were spectators on the far side too, which suggests that the camera side was nearly full, and the few views there were of this suggests it may have been so. The estimated crowd was 13,000. That was probably not far wrong.

But playing the women's game after the men's is a problem. A kickoff time of 7.20pm means a very late end especially for younger spectators with a long journey. Also almost everything shuts down - most of the concession stands, bars, programme sellers, etc. - so its not very welcoming.

Didn't they announce official attendance on the screen? I thought I saw it. they need to do a better job at promoting the subsequent game if they are doing double headers.

Armchair Fan wrote:Amazing game by Italy against France to conquest their best ever result in W6N. Congrats!

Incredible, I would have never predicted this. Best women's Italian Rugby result ever, and one of the best Italian men's&women's results ever.I predicted a France's victory by 30 points, this confirming that I don't understand anything about rugby : )

Thomas wrote:Didn't they announce official attendance on the screen? I thought I saw it. they need to do a better job at promoting the subsequent game if they are doing double headers.

As they do not sell tickets, and there are no turnstyles but rather open gates, it would be impossible for them to know the size of the crowd with any accuracy.

I agree is not the best of systems, I would like to see the Women's game for a change kick off ahead of the men's (I know is not going to happen) but is disheartening for so many people to leave immediately after the match irrespective of the reasons.